I was reading in The Age recently about Bella.

3rd child to a single mother. A 6 month old baby.

It was a routine day apart from the fact that her mother Jayde Poole decided to spoil her older brother and take him to Hungry Jacks later in the afternoon. It was easier to take Bella at this time of day and she came along for the ride. Nothing unusual.

Fast forward 2.5 hours.

Her mum thought she was in her cot. When she went to check on her she wasn’t there. “Someone has taken her!” She set the alarm and reports to the police she has being abducted. It was only later after the police arrived, her home sealed off and the search begins that they decided to check the car.

The baby has been buckled in the car for 2.5 hours.

It is 11 December 2012 and the pre-evening temperature hovered on 30 degrees. On these sort of days in a locked up car temperatures can hit 44 degrees within 10 minutes , 60 degrees within 20 minutes.

This is such a chilling tale. Something that really moved me. Could I forget my daughter?

One of the things I find the most exhausting is being “always present and alert”. Making sure I know where they are. It seems like it doesn’t take much but it can be trying at times.

I am a serial “forgetter”. Forgetting to buy the milk, leaving my phone in the car, forgetting someone’s name. This is what has unnerved me. Could I ….could I forget my child?

This is a quite a serious post from me but I wanted to share it as it really made me think.

Please be present. Please be alert. Its has been such a hot summer particularly here in Melbourne at the moment with the next week predicted to be over 30 degrees.

Our little ones need us and on a busy day… could it happen to you?

Thoughts?